China releases stats for aluminum imports and exports for first sevenmonths

China's primary aluminum imports fell 63.8 percent to 69,108 tons in the first seven months of the year, while primary aluminum exports dropped 77.2 percent to 112,676 tons over the same period, according to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs. China imported 12.49 million tons of bauxite from January to July, surging 157.9 percent from the same period last year, mainly due to the rapid expansion of domestic alumina capacity. Alumina imports reached 3.10 million tons in the first seven months, down 21.6 percent from the same period last year. China's aluminum and aluminum product imports from January to July 2007 Product Country or Volume in Y-o-y Volume from Y-o-y city July change(%) Jan-Jul change(%) 2007(tons) 2007(tons) Primary Australia 2,618 10.9 20,062 -49.2 aluminum South 1,159 -68 7,952 -55.1 Africa China 599 -93.1 6,674 -80.5 Total 4,581 -83.1 69,108 -63.8 Aluminum alloy Taiwan 4,656 69.9 30,619 25.7 China 2,807 -2.6 16,992 -0.3 (repurchase ) Australia 1,495 -25.6 7,949 -35.8 UAE 2,676 -45.8 19,800 -32.9 Total 13,772 -22.2 96,499 -23.2 Aluminum Total 61,374 N/A 402,177 4.1 product Scrap aluminum United 26,085 -28.3 194,384 -21.2 States Spain 23,784 19.7 217,048 215.7 Hong Kong 19,986 604.4 76,397 45.2 Netherlands 12,090 25.5 104,855 61.6 Australia 11,902 -71.5 100,700 -46.2 Malaysia 4,108 9514 119,366 4,906.70 Total 115,784 -25.9 1,110,251 19.9 Alumina Australia 335,394 -7.6 2,491,579 20.2 India 73,896 29.9 440,884 -2.8 Jamaica 27,263 -65.9 98,432 -76.4 Total 440,588 -28.8 3,097,798 -21.6 Bauxite Indonesia 1,646,157 29 8,807,036 94.8 India 531,626 928.2 2,590,160 2,080.60 Australia 207,936 314.5 893,265 497.9 Total 2,434,920 70.9 12,489,437 157.9 Source: General Administration of Customs China's aluminum and aluminum product exports from January to July 2007 Product Country or Volume in Y-o-y Volume from Y-o-y city July change(%) Jan-Jul change(%) 2007(tons) 2007(tons) Primary Japan 5,154 -48.2 33,853 -51.7 aluminum South Korea 5,093 -88.3 57,574 -80.5 Total 10,405 -85.6 112,676 -77.2 Aluminum alloy Japan 9,156 -38.4 77,666 -41.2 Hong Kong 7,037 68 46,233 72.1 South Korea 5,633 34 32,754 26.2 Netherlands 2,022 3335.9 5,427 480.7 Total 30,533 -6.8 201,963 -13.6 Aluminum Total 165,831 N/A 1,187,601 87.9 product Scrap aluminium Total 144 -28 2,590 444.7 Alumina Total 467 -79.2 16,965 31.7 Source: General Administration of Customs